The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Most people think 15-year-old Charlie is a freak. But then seniors Patrick and his beautiful stepsister Sam take Charlie under their wings and introduce him to their eclectic, open-minded, hard-partying friends. It is from these older kids that Charlie learns to live and love.

This book draws you in immediately. The narrator is perfect in his rendition of the story from the first-person perspective, and captured the tone and emotions of the main character Charlie so well. I'm glad I didn't just read it on the page, because now I couldn't imagine wanting anyone else's voice in my head telling this story. The book itself struck me as such an honest and accurate depiction of life as a young teenager, and how important and significant everything seems at the time, at that age. Song lyrics, book choices, friendships, family... It transported me back to the conflicts and constant emotional highs and lows of that age and that time in our lives, which become so easy to forget as an adult. Listening to this book was a romantic and nostalgic experience that made me think both fondly and sympathetically to my own high school days. A touching and beautiful story.

11-22-63: A Novel

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King - who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer - takes listeners on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.

This was a fascinating book. Stephen King's portrayal of 1950/60-s era America is so rich and lovingly depicted, it makes me wish I had experienced that time in our history. Even his minor characters are given depth and traits that lend them significance and make them interesting to hear about. Additionally, the story and the concept guiding the book were so interesting that I found myself thinking about the book and the guiding idea behind the plot long after I'd finished it. Even the ending was great because it was both satisfying and unsatisfying, which means I kept thinking about it over and over. Just a really engaging read, guided by an absolutely fascinating notion.

Summer Rental

Ellis, Julia, and Dorie. Best friends since Catholic grade school, they now find themselves, in their mid-thirties, at the crossroads of life and love. Ellis, recently fired from a job she gave everything to, is rudderless and now beginning to question the choices she's made over the past decade of her life. Julia—whose caustic wit covers up her wounds—has a man who loves her and is offering her the world, but she can't hide from how deeply insecure she feels about her looks, her brains, her life.

Would you try another book from Mary Kay Andrews and/or Isabel Keating?

Nope.

Would you ever listen to anything by Mary Kay Andrews again?

Probably not.

What three words best describe Isabel Keating’s voice?

Smooth, rich, flowing

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Summer Rental?

Pretty much all of them. It was just a mindless beach read with un-relateable characters, over-the-top but superficial plotlines, and cliches falling all over each other. It was basically preposterous in all ways.

Live by Night

Boston, 1926. The ‘20s are roaring. Liquor is flowing, bullets are flying, and one man sets out to make his mark on the world. Prohibition has given rise to an endless network of underground distilleries, speakeasies, gangsters, and corrupt cops. Joe Coughlin, the youngest son of a prominent Boston police captain, has long since turned his back on his strict and proper upbringing. Now having graduated from a childhood of petty theft to a career in the pay of the city's most fearsome mobsters, Joe enjoys the spoils, thrills, and notoriety of being an outlaw.

An easy listen - not much heavy thinking involved - and the narrator did a terrific job capturing the characters and their varied accents. The book itself was a rather cliched collection of gangster-type characters and adventures, but the story was entertaining and easy to follow. Was glad to have a respite from the sometimes-heavier tone of Lehane's books, but still forgot about this one pretty much immediately after I'd finished it, unlike his other books, which lingered with me for awhile.

Summerland: A Novel

A warm June evening, a local tradition: The students of Nantucket High have gathered for a bonfire on the beach. But what begins as a graduation night celebration ends in tragedy after a horrible car crash leaves the driver of the car, Penny Alistair, dead and her twin brother in a coma. The other passengers - Penny's boyfriend Jake and her friend Demeter - are physically unhurt, but the emotional damage is overwhelming, and questions linger about what happened before Penny took the wheel.

Enjoyable portraits of the characters involved, but overall not a story that went much of anywhere. Yearned to hear more about each character's background and the intricacies of their relationships with each other. A mildly entertaining summer listen, but not in a huge hurry to find another Hilderbrand anytime soon.

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